In Fire Need
In Fire Need It had been a week since word of Teizen's return to Konoha had plagued the village. While the name of the had been thrown into question due to the actions of one of its more prominent members since then, Konoha for the most part was dealing with it quite well overall. Really well, actually, considering the fact that any protests against Shikahime had come to a complete end with the simple decision of her temporary suspension from the ANBU, made by the Hokage. In the center of the peaceful afternoon, there was a knock addressed unto the front door of the Nara household, with a messenger waiting at the foot with a scroll held between his arm. Shikaniku heard the knock, though he wasn't sure if he should ignore it, or answer it. For the past week, news reporters and such with their cameras and microphones had been shoving their faces into his door for the opportunity to speak with his daughter, or with him: "What did it feel like to take the arm of your daughter's lover?", "What is Shikahime going through right now? How does this affect your family?", "Is your career at risk because of your daughter's decision to harbor a well-known fugitive". Sighing, he picked himself up from his desk, and opened the door to his home. "Please tell me you aren't here on the behalf of some media company or organization?" "N-no, nothing like that, Shikaniku-sama! I have a message for you here from Lord Sixth; something urgent has come up and he would like for you to meet with him immediately!" The messenger held out the scroll, even opening it for Shikaniku to read. Within it was a short message entailing what the messenger himself had just spoken; it did not go much into detail about anything, leaving the urgent crisis but a mystery. "I have been told not to return without you," the messenger went on, "this emergency is to take priority above all else, Shikaniku-sama." "He wants to meet with him?" Shikaniku snatched the letter from Senkusha, before folding up the scroll and tossing it carelessly into his house. "Whatever, child," he snarled, stepping out of his door and slamming it behind him. The two walked briskly throughout the village, ignoring the crowd of Paparazzi snapping their pictures, the wave of news reporters rushing into Shikaniku's face. The crowd dissipated shortly after they crossed the threshold into the territory of the Hokage's mansion, and then they knew it was serious. The murmurs of the news reporters behind him telling their cameramen to record every second of him walking into the building. "I wonder....what in the hell are they gonna try to make up now?" Senkusha simply nodded enthusiastically, as he stopped upon reaching the door. He opened the door for the obsidian Nara. Shikaniku floated through the door of the Hokage's office. "A dramatic entrance, Shikaniku-san. It enlightens my heart to see you take such... precautions," came the muse of a painfully familiar voice. "Perhaps you really have taken a thing or two from my teachings." Only, that voice didn't belong to whom Shikaniku had expected, nor he whose name had been inscribed upon the letter. No, it was the voice that haunted Shikaniku even when he escaped into his dreams. It was the so-called "beauty" herself: Sayuri. Her red eyes darted across the room, settling on the path of the messenger. "You are free to leave. Please, dismiss yourself." "Y-yes, S-S-Sayuri-sama!" Excusing himself, he made certain to seal the door behind him. Leaning against the Hokage's desk, without a sign of him anywhere around, Sayuri diverted her attention to the man she had called forth before her. "There is no reason to feel so threatened. Please, ease yourself, Shikaniku-san." "Of course, Sayuri-sensei." Shikaniku released his transformation, allowing his sandals to embrace the wooden floors. He approached the chair that waited for him in front of the desk, and sat down, all the meanwhile choosing specifically to avoid her crimson eyes. "Why don't you do the same then, Sayuri-sensei? Ease yourself." "Nay, this is not a time in which I may be able to find any sort of comfort," Sayuri continued, "a great ruckus has struck our nation... a real terror, the likes of which supersedes even our village in comparison. What I am about to say before you now, is to remain undisclosed to all but you and I, are we understood? The nature of this context is a mission; not just any mission, no, this is an assignment you have been chosen for in particular. Do you understand what this means, Shikaniku-san? It means, that within the entirety of this village, only you are capable of meetings its requirements." She motioned for Shikaniku to more formally engage himself in the presence of his authoritative superior. "Onto one knee, Shikaniku-san. We are not here to indulge one another in trivial matters. You are here for the sole purpose of rescuing our nation from an ensuing tragedy." Shikaniku stepped from his chair, and rested upon a single knee. "I understand," Shikaniku responded. His voice lacked any hostility, any caution. Instead, it was a concern. A concern he held for himself, a concern for his village, and extensively a concern for his family. "What could it be that has you, of all people, so disorientated, Sayuri-senpai?" Sayuri reached behind herself, gathering a scroll from the desk and opening it for Shikaniku to see. It was an image of Teizen Hyūga, taken from his entry within Konohagakure's Bingo Book, with a set bounty of 100,000,000 ryō appearing beneath. "You remember him well, yes? This boy, who was left within the care of our greatest ANBU faction, managed to escape the most secure of premises our village has to offer. That alone would have been enough to cause an uproar... but it is due to what he has accomplished since then that I have summoned you here before me now. "We have had our best men on his trail the second we heard of his break-out. Yet, our sensors were only just now able to identify a signal upon his location. He... is currently heading for the Daimyō of our country. And according to a report, we are uncertain that the Twelve Guardian Ninja will be able to stop him." Sayuri shook her head. "No, we know for certain they will not be enough. Shikaniku-san," she recalled her Sharingan to look him in the eyes so as not to impose a hint of a threat, "if word of this were to reach the public, it would lead to a catastrophe. "There is no other shinobi among our forces who is so well equipped to deal with the likes of Teizen. Whereas even my very own father had failed, you managed to cripple him by taking his arm. "Your mission, Shikaniku-san, is to make haste toward the palace of the Fire Daimyō and prevent Teizen from accomplishing his goals." Shikaniku nodded as she spoke. The damn kid had always caused problems. He would remember the days where Senjō would return home, detailing enthusiastically of her time spent with him. Some days he would return to their compound and eat meals. He knew all too well the unfair politics of a clan. How he and his mother were essentially servants to the main branch. Shikaniku sympathized with the child to a degree. A wild flux of emotions from his wife's stories flushed into his mind. Though, regardless, it was his duty to disregard such opinions for they were in opposition of his quest. "I never would've imagine that he could go so far." "Yes, and truth be told, there is some reason behind his actions, however, we are not here to cast judgement upon anyone; we are here to act according to our creed. We are shinobi before anything else, do not forget this, Shikaniku-san. "That being said, there is but a single ninja who may be worthy enough to come to the aid of the Daimyō in their time of need. From here on, you are deprived of your rank; you shall not heed to the call of the Daimyō as a mere commander of the leaf." Sayuri walked across the room, opening a large wardrobe that had been stationed along one corner of the office. Returning to her earlier position, she crowned a hat upon Shikaniku's head. "No, you will go as the Hokage. "Do not waver; I have already spoken with Kakashi-san beforehand, and the two of us have come to the conclusion that there is no successor as worthy as you." She unfolded a haori that she had taken from the wardrobe, which bore the kanji of "eight" along the back, holding it out so as to dress Shikaniku into it herself. "Now rise, Lord Eighth, and rescue our nation from any further mayhem. Rise now, Lord Eighth, and carry on the legacy of those that have come before you!" He paused. "What?" The words that Sayuri muttered replayed in a continuous loop in his mind. It was only through Sayuri's physical intervention, grabbing his arm and pulling up onto his feet, and then placing the Haori onto his back, that Shikaniku had even gotten into the attire himself. "B-But," Shikaniku hesitated. He couldn't find the words. He remembered, as a child, looking up to the Hokage monuments, understanding that the Fire Shadow was recognized as the best shinobi of the land. He remembers hoping to become that; the first Nara to achieve such a status, to prove his worth to his family. He wanted....no, desired to prove to his father and mother that birthright wasn't everything. Today, when that day had finally come, he couldn't believe it. Tears streamed down his face, and immediately, he turned around and pulled Sayuri into an embrace. "S-S-S-S-Sa," he attempted, finding his sniffles interrupting his speech constantly. "B-B.." His hold tightened, as his chest pressed against Sayuri's own. It was actually what caused him to lean over onto her shoulder, not because of height, but because the fact that her gargantuan chest extended so far away from the surface of her body. Her face grew red with a blush. "Sh-Shikaniku-san, get a hold of yourself!" She did not bother fighting off his affection, understanding the emotion invested behind such an honor. "The Hokage of all people must not succumb so easily to his emotions! Now go, there isn't a moment to lose! As your first decree as Hokage, defend our country!" Wiping his face, Shikaniku nodded, smiling brightly as he released Sayuri from his hold. "Right, Sayuri-sensei." With a smile, Shikaniku shot forward, dissipating into a shadow, allowing him to travel through the wall of the Hokage mansion entirely, all the meanwhile his initial propulsion carried him infinitely as no other force possessed the ability to oppose his intangible motion. He shot through the world like a bullet, heading straight for its mark. He was coming for, Teizen. Tens of miles west of the Hidden Leaf Village resided the most magnificent monument in all of the Fire Country, its ancient architecture fitting for royalty of the highest caliber. There was a steep set of steps that led up the hill to the palace, mesmerized by passerbys who could only dream of ascending it for its snowy-white coloration. However, were a group of timely tourists to pass along by the staircase now, they would be unable to identify the stairs by its fabled characteristic; for there was not a hint of white left along those steps, only sheets of red, and lots of it. Eleven corpses were counted along the steps, each sporting a sash bearing the insignia of the Fire Nation along their barren hips. At the top of the hill, there was another corpse to be, its collar clenched tightly within the grasp of a one-armed boy. "I expected more of a challenge out of the likes of you lot. I must say, I am thoroughly disappointed. You weren't able to satisfy me in the slightest; nay, you weren't even able to fulfill my boredom." Teizen shoved the twelfth and final remaining member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja over the hill, watching as it twirled down the height of the steps. And that was when his Byakugan noticed a flicker --no, an incoming storm surging its way toward his location from countless miles away. Today's weather forecast appeared to him quite simply: revenge. The smirk of a devil, embodied by the torn heart of a vigilante. Teizen could hardly contain his excitement. Thicker veins bulged out from the sides of his face, and he began to laugh to himself maniacally, in preparation of what was to come. "Yes, a final battle between you and I was inevitable, Shikaniku! Fate would not have it any other way!" His only hand curled into a tempered fist. "So then, come! Let us finish what we started long ago!" The Eighth Hokage As Teizen called out crazily, Shikaniku's obsidian form dissipated as he came upon the foot of the palace. The stairs that once signified the pedestal that the Land of Fire sat upon compared to the rest of the world was in ruins itself. In its places rested the bodies of the individuals who sought to ensure that such a representation of their nation remained. Instead of being awarded valor and honor for their efforts, they were gifted death. Shikaniku came to a halt as he glared up the hill in Teizen's direction, all in the meanwhile his Haori flapped in the gentle breeze. "Teizen," Shikaniku started, his tone piercing and apathetic as a storm itself. "You're a shinobi of the hidden leaf, a friend to both Senjō and Shikahime Nara; so much of a comrade that she willingly defied her duties to nurse you back to health. Yet, in it all, even with the last outcome, you've turned back to your destructive ways." Instead of drawing his sword, Shikaniku let his hands hang loosely to his side as a means to retain showing signs of aggression. "Why? Is it for the fame, for the glory? It is for your mother, your father? It is because of your Clan?" Shikaniku slammed his foot on the ground, indicating that the transformation he typically assumed was dispelled itself. "What's your fucking point kid? What's the reason for all of this?" "Salvation. Ignorant of the ways of war and the consequences that come about with it, the Daimyō play the game of life by attaching us to their strings. They are the reason behind all of the horror within our world, yet they know nothing of it themselves. What I wish for is to simply give them a taste of their own medicine. "You cannot blame a shinobi for doing his job, just as I cannot blame you for opposing me right now. The many atrocities that I have seen in my day; from the death of my mother to the fate I was bestowed by my clan... it can all be traced back to the Daimyō --it is they who must be punished!" Teizen looked away in disgust. "Shikahime... I will find a way to make it up to her, I swear it." His gaze shifted back to Shikaniku. "After I have disposed of you." Walking down the steps, a grin came to his face as he caught site of Shikaniku's new garb. "Is it Halloween already? What's with the getup?" "So you're doing all of this just because your clan treated you poorly, like the animal that you've shown that you're becoming? With all your freedom, and your glory, notice the folly of your quest." Shikaniku swung his arms around, looking side to side as he did so at the empty space. "Notice that there is not a single man or woman that loves you, or that you love, left standing around you." "Do you know what'll happen if you get to this Daimyō? Another will rise and take his place. In the end, while you spend your days roaming the land, hidden from the world, they'll continue playing the same game that they always have." Shikaniku took a step towards Teizen. "If I had come here as I was a few years ago, we wouldn't had this talk. I would've immediately tried to end you." He extended his hand out gesturing Teizen to come. Yet, it wasn't threatening. "But, it is the ways of the force and manipulation itself that has made you like this, I realize. If it wasn't for Senjō, I may have..." He paused, clenching his fist. "But, you don't have to keep down this path. As the Eighth Hokage, I'll offer my hospitality to you, Teizen. Rejoin the leaf as a new man." He glanced at his right arm. "You've paid for your sins. Let go of this unholy salvation." Teizen stared long and hard at Shikaniku's hand. And then, he broke into laughter. "I am setting an example for things to come," he called out, "the misfortune that befalls the Daimyō of the Fire Country... those of neighboring nations will look to it and come to an understanding. They will realize, once they have learnt that there are those within the world who do not fear to oppose them! "Do you not see? I am bringing a necessary change to this world! And no half-assed Hokage is going to tell me otherwise!" Teizen clenched his teeth and curled his arm into a fist. A number of veins flexed out from the sides of his face as a dark and ominous chakra spewed from the pores of his body. His shirt was torn immediately as two additional sets of arms dug out from his back; another arm replacing the one Shikaniku had claimed for himself during their last encounter. But the transformation did not stop there. Teizen's flesh ripened into a salmon pink, horns protruding from both sides of his face from just above his ears. His sacred black hair turned white, and the musculature around his physique doubled, his muscles inflating like balloons. "Asura of the Six Rings!" Teizen announced, his transformation complete. "Never upon seeing this form has any shinobi lived to tell the tale. You are finished here, 'Hokage'!" As he sprang into the air, his new found strength caused a crater to mark where he had previously stood. Kicking at the air, he exploded toward Shikaniku at a blinding rate of speed, his body super charged with chakra. "What the-" Shikaniku had little time to even finish his statement before Teizen closed the gap between them. Regardless, even in all his speed, his obvious strength, Shikaniku stood his ground. Drawing his katana from its sheathe, he transformed it into a shadow, yet, what differed from its normal intangible state was a difference in technique. He channeled the Shadow Clutch Technique into the obsidian blade, increasing its physical power tenfold. Imbued with the strength to lift a creature ten times the size of a person, Shikaniku swung his blade to counter Teizen's incoming attack. Using one set of arms, Teizen clapped his hands around the empowered blade, bringing its movements to a stop. "The amount of power a blade may have is irrelevant in this scenario," Teizen preached, "now it's your strength against mine; and I think we know which out of the two of us carries the bigger buck." Expecting Shikaniku to now empower his body with the same technique he did the sword, Teizen himself began to channel his gentle fist attack from his hands through the sword, where it looked to pass onto the Nara himself within a moment's notice. With his other hands, Teizen went to establish a lock around Shikaniku's body, pulling the Hokage in close to himself much as he had with Sannoto Senju in the past. "Come on, you have the distance you wanted, am I right? Let's see that famed Shadow Paralysis Technique of yours!" "Shadow Paralysis?" Shikaniku chuckled, as Teizen's grip around his body became tighter. "Please..." He groaned. "You're not...worth it!" With his taunt, Shikaniku faded into the shadows moments before Teizen's gentle fist collided, fading into intangibility. Reversing his transformation back to flesh, Shikaniku leaped backwards, leaving his obsidian blade in Teizen's possession. Pulling a kunai from his pocket, Shikaniku threw his kunai into the air, and with a clasp of his hands the weapons multiplied exponentially hoping to encapsulate a wide area, yet, as they came down onto the earth, another surge of chakra overwhelmed the kunai and then in the blink of an eye they appeared as serene feathers falling carelessly from the sky. Trivia *The title is a pun on the commonly used phrase "in dire need".